John McComas

John McComas is Head of Project Management at Nordex North America. Having originally joined Acciona Windpower North America in August 2007 as a Supply Chain Analyst, McComas worked in several different positions before moving into his current role in May 2017. Having achieved considerable success over the past few years, McComas points to his company’s product line as a driving factor. “Our product line between the Nordex and Acciona turbines is flexible, cost effective, and client driven,” explains McComas. We’re not afraid of entering into markets where other organisations feel uncomfortable.”

A key area of priority to McComas is the company’s client approach. “We have an approach with our clients which is quite the opposite of ‘take it or leave it’,” he says. “It’s about trying to foster a relationship and learn what the constraints, challenges and economic model inputs are in order for the projects to be successful.” Having worked in several different markets, McComas acknowledges that every individual sector has its own unique challenges. “What makes us successful is our approach,” he explains. “We can’t have just one way of doing things across a diverse range of markets. It’s important that we adapt to what the requirements are.” 

Another important area of focus to McComas is the introduction of new technology. He understands the growing impact digitalisation is having on the energy industry and beyond. “Digital transformation is one of the biggest opportunities facing most markets at the moment,” says McComas. “We used to spend lots of time and effort collecting, analyzing and correcting information and data that came to us from paper-based sources. We’re flooded by the onset of tools, techniques, processes and data, so it’s important that we use it in the right way. With increased efficiency comes the opportunity to be safer, more quality centered, and strategic. 

McComas believes in the value of partnerships. Nordex has established key, strategic relationships with Appia Wind Services, DSV Air & Sea and ATS, in addition to collaborations with global energy leaders such as Engie, Enel, Duke, Acciona Energy, and others “We want to work hand in hand with our clients in order to generate collaborative solutions,” he says. “It’s important that we meet our commitments and ensure that we’re transparent and are working together in a collaborative manner to resolve issues. We understand that if we make a mistake then being open and honest is essential. We don’t try and hide; we strive to learn from our mistakes. Being open and honest with every partnership is essential and if we want to foster long-term growth, we understand we have to work collaboratively and transparently.”

With the future in mind, McComas has a vision of where he expects Nordex to be over the next few years. “We’ve almost doubled the growth of the overall organisation in just a few years and we aim to continue in that vein,” he says. “Moving forward, our plan is to focus on the execution of our commitments and make sure we deliver on the projects that we’re undertaking.” McComas also harbours ambitions of transforming The Nordex Group to being considered a leader in wind turbine supply construction and commissioning. “It’s a pivotal year for us,” summarises McComas. “We’ve already established ourselves as a top tier supplier globally for wind turbines and we want to continue to scale.”